Connecting the Dots! Innovative Email Marketing Rock Star Keynotes Marketing & Business Development Conference

What do the following have in common?

• Finalist in 2010 Maryland Small Business of the Year Awards
• Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies 
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award Finalist 
• Email Marketing Integration with Facebook Connect 
• Bridging the Gap Between Email Marketing and Social Media 
• Marketing and New Media Leader Chris Penn 

Greg Cangialosi, President & CEO of Blue Sky Factory! 

You might ask how Greg was identified and booked as a keynote speaker for our event. It was a matter of connecting the dots! We connected through new media (Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs), old media (reading a book, phone, email), and personal referral. 

The relationship journey began when I started following @cspenn on Twitter. Liking what Chris wrote, I began to follow his blogs. He caught my attention with his edgy, professional style. One day Chris posted a general tweet asking if we should be connected on LinkedIn? Appreciating the insights Chris provides, believing the one with the most contacts (relationships) wins at the end of the day, I connected to Chris. From there I checked Chris out on YouTube to see if he might also be a skilled presenter. Bingo! Now I wanted to know if Chris would be interested in keynoting our Marketing & Business Development Conference. 

While all of this was developing, I was reading Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust. His description of Blue Sky Factory and how they handle business was the icing on the cake. I was sold and wanted to find a way to work with Blue Sky Factory. And yes, the book was a great read! And yes, I also follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisBrogan. 

Chris Penn treasures family relationships. His brother was getting married the same time as our event. He thought it best he join the family for the ceremony, a most excellent choice I might add. Instead of ending the conversation, Chris asked if I might be interested in their CEO, Greg Cangialosi. I cyber stalked Greg to see what information I could find about him, his blogs, and again going to YouTube to check out Greg’s presentation skills. 

The journey continues. I follow a number of the Blue Sky Factory team on Twitter now. Love the passion and energy they bring to their world.

To connect with credit union professionals and hear Greg live, plan to attend the 2010 Marketing & Business Development Conference, October 6-8, at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, Texas. 

Greg will cover: 

The relationship between business and consumer has fundamentally changed due to key shifts in communication tools and the interactions that are now taking place between businesses and their customers and prospects. This new landscape presents both challenges and opportunities to marketers and businesses of every size. 

It can be hard to know where to focus and to find meaning when the newest “shiny object” becomes mainstream or is the all of the buzz. Whether it’s social media, email marketing or mobile, marketers are asking themselves, how can these tools be useful to me? What works and what doesn’t? How do I implement and more importantly measure the effectiveness of my marketing? 

In this session, Greg Cangialosi will discuss how to take a broader, holistic view of this new era of marketing communications. Focusing on the core themes of the shifting consumer mindset and what is important to them when it comes to interacting with a business or brand online. 

Gain knowledge and insight by as Greg shares information about: 

• current market statistics on consumer behavior. 
• examples and case studies of companies who do it right and wrong. 
• how you can implement new strategies to grow your business a glimpse into the future of marketing – what’s coming next?

Greg will also present a breakout session on email marketing.

If you’re looking for fresh ideas on ways to grow you business, come hang out with us in San Antonio. Act fast. Early bird conference and special hotel sleeping room rate end September 9.

Hoping to see you there!

I Heard That!

Guest Post by Jack McAdoo, President & CEO, Beacon FCU 

I recently had the privilege to sit in with and listen to the very insightful dialogue during the Southwest CUNA Management School  c2c (Connect to Collaborate) Casual Chat this year after the Student Alumni Dinner and Auction in Fort Worth.  What I heard was a strong reminder of many of my frustrations in the early years of my career.  I wish there had been more of my peers there to listen to the words of our future leaders.  I thought I would write some of this down to share, but understand, my words are not what is important here.  The words, feelings, passions and emotions of this group are what is important.

First of all, the c2c group is a group of 30 year-old and under students, professionals in our industry...the credit union industry.  The group was lead by 30ish credit union and supplier representatives. In this particular session, there were approximately 40 men and women joined in a circle to discuss topics of interest and concern.  It was open forum. I was allowed to sit on the outside of the circle with one strict rule; I was not allowed to speak.  I was allowed to submit a written comment, but with no obligation from the group to discuss it.

This group of extremely bright and creative professionals spoke for over an hour about things that were important in their professional worlds.  The discussion was sincere; it was candid; and it was very informative.  Here are a couple of bullets of what was said:

• My CU is slow to incorporate technology;
• Budget cuts!
• Slow to incorporate change!

What I heard was not as important as what I learned.  I learned that by and large, that group of young professionals, the group that will someday lead our industry, is frustrated!  They are frustrated because you and I as managers, as CEO's, are not listening to them.  Or, I guess more precisely, we may be listening, but we are not hearing them.  At least, the perception is that we are not hearing them.  And you know what is said about perception?  Perception is reality!

Is there anything more frustrating in our world than the feeling that no one is listening?  We must take note and learn to communicate, or we risk losing this wonderful talent base to others and other industries that have learned to communicate with them.  Communication is not just talking.  That's obviously important and based on my experience with other CEO's, we have that part down!  It is also about listening and actually hearing what is being said.  The important part is to make sure everyone understands!  That means goals and objectives both short term and long term.  How many times have we heard great ideas, but for one reason or another they didn't fit into our current strategic vision?  The great ideas were discussed, but nothing was ever done, and the idea gets lost, leaving the one who thought of it feeling as if no one listened thus becoming frustrated.

The other thing that is important, or I viewed it as important, is that we as CEO's need to quit blaming delays and inaction/no action on our Boards.  Don't get me wrong.  Boards are important, but let's quit kidding one another.  They look to us for direction.  We as CEO's can make or break a decision on an idea or proposal.  Let's not blame or hide behind the Board.

I guess what I learned is that it is important to listen to and actually hear our staff.  Communicate with them!  Make sure everyone understands strategic goals and objectives and how ideas, suggestions, proposals, etc. fit with or do not fit with the goals and objectives and why.  We must put ourselves in their position, and we will understand how frustrated they can become.  Communication is key!  Focus on communication and stress it at all levels of the organization.  Then, work on your listening skills!

Does Social Media Work for CUs? Let’s find out

A lot of credit unions are wrestling with the business case for social media. Others are adventuring out into the social media arena, looking to see what makes best sense for their business strategies.

Filene Research Institute has launched "groundbreaking research regarding the quantifiable impact of social media marketing strategies."

Can you make a commitment of about two hours over the next year to complete one survey per quarter regarding your marketing activities?

"The results of the year-long research will produce a statistically tested way to predict changes in membership and products per member (or, member share) based on social media activities."

"In plain English: If you keep wondering whether social media is just hype or an effective marketing tactic, this is your chance to find out. We want you and many other credit unions to participate because more responses make for better analysis. In return for your participation, we will provide you with the results of the research. Even if you are not using social media, we would like you to participate."

Credit unions have been built around people helping people. Working together is the best way for us to position credit unions forward. Hoping you make the commitment to be part of this timely project!

Vote Denise Gabel for Oprah's "Your Own Show"

Watch, vote and share your support for Denise Gabel. As an agent of change, Denise wants to know what makes a business unique? Where are they going? And how can she help? Why not help small businesses grow? Why not lend them a hand? 

Click here to watch the video as it could not be embedded.

Denise R. Gabel is the Chief Innovation Officer at the Filene Research Institute, an academic based, consumer finance think and do tank located in Madison, Wisconsin.

A recognized innovation catalyst and in-demand speaker, Denise has been interviewed widely from National Public Radio to the Wall Street Journal. She authored the Filene Research Institute’s Key Findings: Innovation Through Collaboration, annual publication Key Findings: Blueprints for Innovation, and Reimagining the Dream: The Future of Home Ownership.

Show some credit union love and vote for Denise.

What’s a Leader to Do ... When You Are Paid to Think?

In any organization it's leadership who's responsible for setting the strategy, developing the tactics, and following through on the execution. The challenge for leadership is that not all plans go as planned. With capital markets changing, politicians in Washington changing the rules daily, the economy on life support, personal finances in turmoil and unemployment in double digits, what is a leader supposed to do to increase their membership, create a stable Credit Union, and continually deliver products and services that meet the needs of the membership? It is to follow the basic principles of Paid to Think:

• Learn to Slow Down
• Use Your Organization as Your Eyes and Ears
• Add Tools to Your Toolbox
• Marinate

 1^st year students and enrolled guests are in for a treat as they spend a full day on campus with David Goldsmith, MetaMatrix Consulting Group, LLC, exploring the concepts around “Paid to Think”, learning:

• A new road map for those in leadership that outlines 12 specific activities every leader should be skilled at to:
  - create rapid growth
  - increase customer and employee satisfaction, and overall value to the credit union
• What assumptions are preventing you from making rapid progress towards your overall desired outcomes and what changes you can make to easily overcome these obstacles
• How to rethink the current strategic and tactical model in such a way that brings clarity to every activity you do every day
• What leadership is responsible for delivering to insure that there are no fires, and progress is made every day, and
• The rationale behind the phrase, "All management exists in the future." and what you can do to bring even greater leadership to those you manage.

This course, while only a day long, will immediately change you and your Credit Union forever.

If you’re looking to develop your team or enhance your skills, plan to spend July 21 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm) on the TCU campus (Lupton-Brown University Union) with international business forecaster and management strategist, David Goldsmith and the SCMS Class of 2012. Limited seating available on a day rate. For more details, visit www.scms.coop or contact Janine McBee, SCMS Synergist & Director.

David will also be our commencement speaker for the 38th SCMS Graduation.

Passion, Purpose & Performance: How Strategic Leadership Works in Today's Credit Union

When it comes to your career path and leadership development, as well as succession planning for your credit union, the first person you look to is yourself! No one cares more about your future than you and those who depend on you. If you're looking for insight and guidance to help you on your journey, check out this first year SCMS course:

 

Passion, Purpose & Performance: How Strategic Leadership Works in Today's Credit Union.

 

First year Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS) students hit the ground running on day one with Dr. Robert Smith. During his high energy presentation, he takes students on an experiential journey, sharing insights into fundamental leadership requirements guiding strategic change within their credit unions. In 2010 and beyond, success will be defined by the ability of credit unions to innovate. This course is a unique hands-on experience in the emerging discipline of leadership innovation. Because successful innovation is ultimately measured by execution and accountability, this course is fully anchored in pragmatic applications including numerous case studies to illustrate different leadership skills. The final segment the revolves around a discussion of who needs to be on your support team for advancing your leadership career as a leader of innovation in your credit union.

Dr. Smith covers:

• Assessing your skills for leadership
• Understanding how vision actually shapes strategic change
• Developing an accountability matrix to track leadership and coaching behavior necessary to get results

Limited spaces are available first year enrollment. Students starting this year will graduate during “The International Year of the Cooperative”. How cool would that be!

On a space available basis, most SCMS classes are also available on a audit basis.

Time to Vote for Next Read - Book Club for Professional & Personal Development

When it comes to reading for both professional and personal development, do you have good intentions but don't get anywhere? Is your schedule so crazy that meeting at the same time and day of the week is a commitment you're not ready to make? Do you need deadlines to get you started? Do you work for or love a credit union? Answer yes to any of these questions, and we're the group for you!

Our book club launched March 15, 2010 starting with Patrick Lencioni's "Getting Naked: A Business Fable." We are currently reading our second book, Seth Godin's "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" Please feel free to join in at anytime. That's the method to the madness for connecting on LinkedIn. If you missed the start or we are on another book, you can still jump in and add to the discussion on any book active in the group discussion site, sharing with the community.

We are about 1/3 of the way through Linchpin. It's time to start thinking about what the group will read next. On the list are:

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John C. Maxwell
Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman
Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeir Hansson

Vote here. When you vote, please feel free to recommend books for future consideration.

Voting closes on June 16. Simple majority rules. The book with the most votes will be our third book.

Image Provides Insight into Ideal Candidates

Click the image to enlarge.

If you are planning a career in the credit union movement, professional development and networking are key to your success. As a leader, it is also important to have a plan to ensure that your team has a clear plan for developing their skills and network. Southwest CUNA Management School is designed to challenge you, your team, and your credit union forward.

 

If your find yourself or members of your team identified in the word picture to the left, you have a match for the profile of a future leader and SCMS student…enroll today!

 

Visit www.wordle.net to create your own "word cloud". It's a great tool to see if something you're writing has the emphasis where you want it to be.

Southwest CUNA Management School Bulletin: Wanted Credit Union Professionals Fitting this Profile!

The secret’s out. Southwest CUNA Management School Students have been profiled. The PTP New Media & CU*Swag team caught one of this year’s third year students, Jason Duplant (Neches FCU) on tape. Look and listen closely to get an insiders’ perspective on the value of the school.

Careful analysis of this year’s 1^st year enrollees reveals what a typical students looks like:

Who

Students come from credit unions ranging in size from under $1 million to nearly $1 billion. It’s exciting to see mutually beneficial relationships develop when Davy and Goliath are side by side in the classroom.

Students range in age from 23 to 62. Oh the lessons the generations learn from each other when they spend eight days on a college campus for three years. New for 2010 we have a special scholarship, networking, and mentoring C2C initiative for students under the age of 30 by August 1, 2010.

Experience levels cover a wide range.

• Years on the Job: 1 to 26, averaging just under 6 years.

• Years in Credit Unions: 2 to 31, averaging 11 years

• Years in the Financial Services Industry: 2 to 33, averaging just over 13 years.

As for job titles, you name it and we probably have someone enrolled. The school is designed for everyone from management trainees to mid and senior level management to CEOs.

When       July 11-21, 2010

Where    Classes are held at TCU (Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas)

Students may be coming from as far as Africa. The majority of the students are coming from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

What

Intensive classroom training, world class faculty, unique networking opportunities, and developing a detailed two year strategic business plan for your credit union. Specialists gain an appreciation for how the various pieces of the credit union come together to complete/affect the entire company. Smaller credit unions get the opportunity to dream and think about how to strategically position their credit union forward. All students build a strong network of friends and experts to help them face challenges down the road.

Developing News

Strategic alumni have been collaborating and brainstorming about providing additional value. As a result of numerous discussions, new opportunities are available for credit union folks to take advantage of what SCMS has to offer.

• Day Students: Any league affiliated credit union may attend ½ to a full day, or even a couple of days on a day rate basis - $275 per day, lunch included, on own for accommodations. No homework. Click here for the full schedule.

• Full Year Option: CUNA Management School alumni are invited back for a full year experience, living on campus, learning and networking with the class of their choice. This is offered as either entire 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd year options. Same price as a full time student, though no scholarship opportunities at this point. No homework.

If you, or one of your credit union’s talented up and coming stars, specialists, or seasoned vets are looking for challenges, fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and aha moments, the time to enroll in the school is now!

Contact Janine McBee for further information if interested: jmcbee@scms.coop or tweet @SCMSJanine

SCMS New Faculty On Board for Summer 2010 Session

Fresh faces are on board to join the Southwest CUNA Management School faculty team and challenge students forward:

· Matt Davis  (AKA "The Credit Union Warrior") partnered with Filene Research Institute, Matt joins Denise Gabel for the 1 1/2 days of Innovation classes with 2nd & 3rd year students.

· Julie Ferguson, JRF Consulting Services brings a wealth of credit union and business development background to Grad School.

· David Goldsmith, MetaMatrix Consulting Group, Inc., is about to have a book published on strategic planning. He’s the final class for 1st year students, charged with sending them out challenged and future focused.

· Mike Petrone, CFE, CFSA joins us from CUNA Mutual Group (CMG) for the 1st year Risk Management course. In 2002, Mike was honored with the 2nd annual Michael G. Hallinan Risk Management Choice Award.

· Shawn Temple (one of last year’s Award of Excellence recipients), Bossier FCU, joins the team to work with students on the project (a two-year strategic business plan) requirements.

· Amanda Vega,  Amanda Vega Consulting brings real world experience to help second year students make strategic decisions related to social media and their  credit unions.

 

For a complete faculty team and course listing, scholarship information (deadline this week), and school application, visit www.scms.coop.

Excitement mounts as registrations come in for this year's first year class. To give you an idea of what students looks like:

• They are coming from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and possibly Africa.

• They hold titles ranging from President, Manager, Director, COO, VP, Accounting, Business Services Representative, Branch Manager, to E-Branch Manager and more.

• The credit union asset sizes range from under $20 million to around $1 billion

• The students range in age from early 20's to 50's. They have 2 to 28 years service in credit unions, with 2 to 33 years in the financial services industry.

• Education backgrounds range from Masters Degrees to High School Grads.

Thank you Bossier FCU for enrolling three in the first year class and to numerous credit unions who continue to enroll credit unions year after year!

 

Make a Credit Union Video. It's Good for Your Culture.

It's been a good race and congrats to Amy Leahy-McGraw for a job well done and bringing home first place.

I just came across something that hits close to home as we just completed the Young & Free "Lookin' Like a Fool With Your Money in the Bank" video challenge.

Geico just released a new video featuring staff and yes, even Warren Buffet himself dressed up rocking it out like Axel Rose (tats and all).

While it's a simple video titled, "All for You", the Geico culture really bleeds through in a fun and quirky way. Here you have one of the richest men in the world most likely stepping out of his comfort zone to do something different.

So what can we take away from this "service video" that Geico did?

Sharing from our own experiences in making the Young & Free  videos, I feel the video challenge was a great way for us to do something different at the office.

It was a great team building exercise for PTP NEW MEDIA and CU*SWAG that allowed us to come together to create something different while having fun.

Many times we are busy creating for our credit unions, however, we were able to step back and create something for everyone to enjoy and help spread the credit union love.

As always, wanting to go above and beyond, there was a lot of time spent in planning, recording, shooting, production and then campaigning through non-traditional channels with full microsite. 

Traditional thinkers may say "wow... what a waist of time and resources". 

On the contrary, the investment that was dedicated to this campaign was well worth it from an internal perspective simply for the fact that it forced us to come closer together as a team, step outside comfort zones and do something to help promote a movement that we love and are so passionate about.

Watch, enjoy and feel free to share and use our labors of love and passion below:

How SCMS Changed My Credit Union Life

When I was introduced to SCMS, my first thoughts were:

• I have a degree – no more school for me – “CompSci til the day I die”.
• I have friends – I do not need more.
• I am not good at networking – what would I say?
• How will this help me and my credit union?

My first summer day of SCMS:

• I met great people – yes, the first day.
• I now had lots of instant friends who were in the same world as me – credit union.
• We had fun while we were acclimated to more credit union business.

What I learned:

• Time definitely does fly.
• You are never too old to learn.
• You know more than you think you know.
• Your questions can help others.
• Sharing is still a wonderful feeling.
• You are never too old to meet new friends.

How SCMS helped me:

• I was new to the credit union industry and SCMS was the orientation I needed.
• I learned more than I thought was possible.
• We are a small credit union but I have made contacts and never feel isolated or alone.
• I know where to go for help when we need it.
• And I never have to re-invent the wheel. Resources are there waiting for me.

What happened to me after SCMS:

• Those instant friends are now my BFFs.
• I started out as Technical Operations Administrator and am now Manager of the credit union and now confident in this new role.
• When our staff turned over 75%, leaving me as the sole leader, I had no need to panic because I knew at least 10 people who had gone through this before and they became my mentors. I had and still have a great support system of people who supported me through SCMS and continue to support me in anything I need. Without my SCMS support, I would have had a major meltdown, but I did not because I knew where to go.

Guest Post - Iris R. Netters, Class of 2008
One of the "Great 08" Class Members
Manager, New Mount Zion Baptist Church CU

Show us Your Leadership and We’ll Show You The Money!

Do you have talented staff under the age of 30? Are you looking for opportunities to hone and develop their leadership skills? The Texas Credit Union Foundation (TCUF) and Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS) have joined forces to invest in the future of the credit union system through the SCMS C2C Scholarship – Connect to Collaborate!

The Scholarship? Up to $2,899 (tuition for 2010 SCMS summer session) – The full amount of tuition paid by the student’s credit union will be reimbursed for one student. Odds are better than 1 in 34 to win! At the end of the 1st year session of SCMS, the student’s classmates will vote on who among the under 30 group exhibited the most leadership on campus. Simple majority wins. In the event of a tie, the scholarship will be split. We will announce the winner during the July 21 graduation ceremonies.

Who is eligible? Credit union professionals under the age of 30 as of August 1, 2010 who are enrolled in the July 2010 first year SCMS session. The credit union must be affiliated with their state league. Enrollment closes at 55 students.

What’s in it for the student?

• Connect - opportunity to network and learn side by side with current and future credit union leaders and the school's highly acclaimed faculty.
• Collaborate - peer to peer mentoring.
• Added value for the 1st year students under the age of 30 
  - a special leadership packet – top secret contents!
  - additional bonus opportunities are in the works, like an invite to join 2nd year faculty member, marketing and branding expert, Mark Arnold, for lunch on campus.
  - VIP seating with industry leaders during graduation.

What’s in it for the credit union?

• Connect your rising leaders to a phenomenal credit union network.
• Collaborate with your student(s) as work is done to create a strategic business plan for your credit union.

To encourage and mentor up and coming credit union leaders, SCMS C2C will also hold a casual chat for all SCMS students and alumni under the age of 30 on July 20, after the annual alumni/student auction dinner. Watch www.scms.coop additional details. Wait until you see who is coming to campus to spend time with this group!

A huge thank you goes out to Brent Dixon, Mark Arnold, and PTP New Media for helping me get C2C from concept to reality!

Have questions about SCMS? Contact Director and Synergist, Janine McBee at 800.442.5762x6634, jmcbee@scms.coop or tweet @SCMSJanine.

(No scholarship application is required!)

Credit Union Leaders Book Club Launched

I don't know about you, but I am surrounded by books I plan to read. Great books sit waiting to provide aha moments, challenge my thinking, or to provide much needed escapes. Gifts waiting to be opened and explored, they look at me wide-eyed as if to ask which book will I devour next?

 

I have collected a number of business books in the last year that all seem more than worthy to spend quality time with. Yet, before I open any of the books, another one lands on my radar and finds it way home. My list of recommended books continues to grow. I trust the sources. They must be good reads. Right?

 

And yes, I must confess, I’m a cycler. No, Lance Armstrong doesn’t need to be worried that I might be a hidden threat. For as long as I can remember, I’ve cycled between fiction and non-fiction reading. Lately I’ve been reading historical fiction. The books have taken me on great adventures back in time and broadened my perspectives.

 

Was my recent escape to fiction driven by guilt that when I got bogged down reading “Einstein”? A trusted friend recommended the book. I know she would not do that lightly. Yet half way through I laid it down and it sits by my chair. I can’t completely let it go. It sits starring at me. Einstein and I will reunite somewhere down the road.

 

During a recent CUChatUp blog talk, the participants started chatting about business books. Book recommendations started flying. Inspiration! Around the same time, I had received one of those delightful Amazon emails about new books. I'm so weak and they know me so well. This one mentioned "Getting Naked: A Business Fable...about shedding the three fears that sabotage client loyalty" by Patrick Lencioni. I'm a fan of his "Five Dysfunctions of a Team".

 

It hit. The perfect storm - energy sparked by a community of friends who like to read and make a difference and a new book by an author I like It’s time to cycle back to business reading.

The call to action. The call to community. The LinkedIn Group “Credit Union Leaders Book Club” was born. Using the discussion feature of LinkedIn, this is a community where credit union professionals and friends committed to professional and personal development are encouraged to grow together. Being part of the community adds a sense of accountability and responsibility. We’re spread out across the country and all have busy schedules. The online discussion gives us more options to learn from and share with each other. On March 15 we start our 1st book discussion, covering one chapter a week. Our community will determine the next book.

 

Feel free to join our group and share the challenge with your team. Together we can learn from and challenge each other forward. Feel the energy. Make the commitment.

Social Media, Patience & Education - Looking Back & Reflecting Forward

Following up on two recent posts by James Robert Lay about "Credit Unions, Twitter, Service and Brand Management"...

Those who know me, know I did not embrace Twitter and Facebook until this last summer. Had enough on my plate already without adding any additional distractions or diversions from the work at hand. Many conversations, yes, real conversations, diving in, listening, learning and lots of coaching later, I now champion both tools. And, yes, I'm still learning.

As director of a leadership development school for credit union professionals, reaching my target market is crucial. The ability to develop a relationship with future students before they come to campus helps us to maximize their experience. You do become vulnerable when you put yourself out there. At the same time, you also gain strength and support as you spend the time to establish relationships and learn together. All relationships take time to develop.

As senior director of training for the Texas Credit Union League, finding new speakers and topic ideas help me to better serve our membership. When I’m looking for subject matter experts, tweets and blogs help me get a better picture about the speaker, as well as topic ideas to meet the needs of our membership.

As someone who likes to use financial services, I appreciate when I see tweets alerting me to special hours of business, challenges with websites/ATMs, financial management tips, and more. Time is precious. I like it when someone cares enough to save me time.

As a member of a various communities, it's nice to know where and when there are opportunities to serve and give back.

As the mother of a freshman college student, twitter is how I get campus wide alerts.

Some of my aha moments included:

1)     Twitter provided a no cost way to set up crisis communications when we had students on campus. (Grateful the need to use did not arise.)

2)     Twitter provided a way for me to bring subject matter experts into the classroom for brief periods of time who could not have been there otherwise.

3)     After linking Twitter to Facebook, I was finding some people were more likely to respond to tweets through Facebook. Hmm. Unproven conclusion – until social media tools and applications are sanctioned in the workplace, people are more likely to respond on personal time through Facebook (unless they have cool phones).

4)     Innovation and new ideas are important as you work to position your company forward. By strategically selecting who and what topics I follow, I’ve found solid information with minimal time.

5)     Engaging with the right people through social media grows valuable relationships. It’s always been important to reach people in the manner they wish to be communicated with. I have treasured contacts who prefer Twitter or Facebook for 1^st point of contact. From there we migrate to other forms of communication as appropriate.

6)     Sometimes you just need a little laughter to break up your day or to know that there are good news stories out there.

Before writing this, I did a little research on tweet posts over the last 24 hours from folks I follow:

1)     5 Sure-Fire Ways to Operationalize Social Media by Jay Baer

“And in 2010, we’re going to move from experimentation to methodology. It will be the year that the real-time Web and social media become operationalized.”

I agree with Jay that 2010 will see a lot of social media strategic decisions made and processes refined.

2)     As someone who loved the efficiencies of RSS feeds for storing key topics in a summarized fashion, I find myself following into the same scenario that Richard MacManus describes in:

RSS Reader Market in Disarray, Continues to Decline
December 20, 2009 - ReadWriteWeb.com

“One of the interesting trends of 2009 has been the gradual decline of RSS Readers as a way for people to keep up with news and niche topics. Many of us still use them, but less than we used to. I for one still maintain a Google Reader account, however I don't check it on a daily basis. I check Twitter for news and information multiple times a day, I monitor Twitter lists, and I read a number of blogs across a set of topics of most interest to me. “

3)     @MattRhodes directed me to “Social Media as  Crisis Management Tool”
FreshNetworks - “I have a client who once said to me: “We want to use social media to attract more complaints”. This may seem an odd thing to say, all too often attracting complaints is a reason people cite for being anxious about using social media. But this client knew that one part of their service didn’t always perform as well as they might hope. They also knew that nobody ever really complained to them. They must be complaining somewhere, they thought, and we’d like them to be complaining to us.”

He goes on to note some uses for social media in context of crisis management:

·         Keep people up-to-date

·         Represent your brand

·         Engage people talking about you

·         Communicate strategically through hub and spokes format

All this to say that conversations are happening.

1)     We have to be better about telling the good stories and turning around the bad ones. Social media tools provide opportunities to do so. It’s time to hone our skills to take advantage of these dynamic, rapidly evolving forms of communication.

2)     New information is coming at us faster than we can absorb. Social media tools help us gather data and information rapidly. However, don’t let social media be your only research source.

Be deliberate. Have a strategy. Join the community. Looking forward to exciting things in years to come as we work together to innovate forward.

Are These Your Future Credit Union Members?

As we get close to closing out 2009, we have been looking forward to 2010 and beyond.  What is the future of your credit union?  A lot of focus has been on Gen Y.  However, let's look past them into an even younger generation of future credit union members. 

Watch the video below for a snap shot into the decade in review through the eyes of kids who were born in 2000. It truly provides an awesome insight into how they see the world from their perspective. 

In closing, what are your thoughts on this past decade? What opportunities await us as credit unions in the future? What potential challenges must we overcome? We can move forward together through innovation, communication and collaboration. 

.

Twitter: a faster horse, trends, the classroom, & our future work force

My mind is racing as I think about the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead as we innovate, communicate, learn, and grow together.

Others may question the value of Twitter. It was not that long ago that I didn't even want to consider another communication channel. I was too busy and there was too much trivial communication. Now, I'm thankful for an ever-growing, thought-provoking, community of connections and viewpoints shared on Twitter.

Browsing through Twitter updates this morning, I came across @BertDecker's reference to a quote by Henry Ford:

"If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse."

Fortunately, Mr. Ford chose a different path, pioneering a new form of transportation. Might social media be to communication, like the Model T was to transportation, where Twitter is the higher speed evolution?

Next, I spent some time reviewing @MichaelHyatt's pointer post to the free ebook, "What Matters Now: Things to think about (and do) this year". More than 70 big thinkers collaborated to provide a picture of where we are headed, including Seth Godin, Chris Anderson, Tom Peters, Elizabeth Gilbert, Guy Kawasaki, and more.

The ebook begins with a spotlight on generosity. Logic would indicate that people start focusing on looking out for number one when the economy is tough. It turns out that the connected economy doesn't respect this natural instinct. Instead, we're rewarded for being generous.

Covering such areas as dignity, momentum, consequences, compassion, DIY, accountability, responsibility, collaboration, change, context, authenticity, and more, the ebook is worth taking the time to read. Slow down, contemplate, and give some serious thought to the concepts. Take time to ask yourself, "What does this mean to me?"

Next, @rossdawson pointed me to "A futurist's view of the 'next big thing' in social media" by @VenessaMiemis and featured on www.businessesgrow.com.

When I came across:

Many young people are not being taught how to benefit from the power of the web as a tool for building a network and for learning. I mean, anyone who uses Twitter or belongs to an online community of some sort has seen that sharing information and learning from one another is not only fun and rewarding, it's addictive. Kids need to be shown how to navigate that world too.

It's not just the kids who need to be introduced to or taught about the value of social media. All ages can benefit when they find the right focus and discover the best channels to use for their goals and interests.

I was compelled to pay it forward today, sharing insights I found valuable with others. Now will you share with me? Has someone's tweet inspired, challenged, and helped you position forward? It's your turn to pay it forward, shout out and share with others.

Vendors Invited to Become Rock Stars through YouTube Video Contest

Are banks and credit unions in your target audience? Are you looking for new and creative ways to attract potential clients and help keep existing clients loyal ?  TechMecca has just the contest for you. Create an informative video of value to the financial industry and you are on the road to stardom. Now is the time to create some buzz and become a rock star!

Lessons Learned Thru Twitter - Twitter, Customer Service and Good Brand Management

- Building the Business Case for 140 Precious Characters

Checking this morning's tweets, I came across @ConversationAge Twitter, Customer Service and Good Brand Management http://ow.ly/yz2H.

She got my attention and I followed her link. For those of you serious about brand management and customer service, I recommend spending some thought time reading Valeria Maltoni's post. She addresses how those 140 character twitter messages have the potential to directly impact your brand and can function as a customer service tool.

She gives great tools about how to track tweets about your company. Maltoni goes further, nothing that "online monitoring is broader than Twitter", as she mentions additional web monitoring sites.

Keep exploring and learning as online communication channels grow and develop. Join the conversation, develop the relationships, and keep positioning forward!

Tweet on my friends.

Video: Leverage the Power of Social Media With Any Budget

This past spring we attended the Texas Credit Union League Annual Meeting in Austin, TX.  Matt Davis (on Twitter: @CUWarrior) who is the Director of Public Relations at Members Credit Union ($200 million, Winston-Salem, NC) spoke on the power of social media.  As a member of the Filene Research Institute’s 30-Under-30 Group and author of “The Credit Union Warrior” blog, Davis has been at the center of credit union innovation since 2004. This session explored the power of social media and its vast potential for developing community with your membership. Matt discussed past successes and failures in credit union blogging and strategies that your credit union can use to succeed in this new form of media - regardless of your asset size. Credit unions of all sizes can be successful in social media and the failure to initiate may be far more risky than the failure to launch such a promotion!  Check out the video below and let us know how your CU is leading the way with social media!

Do You Have a Fowarding Quotient Strategy?

New term for me today - Forwarding Quotient (FQ). Are you strategically and thoughtfully taking time to forward content of value to your clients, peers, work team, and friends?

I learned about FQ through a weekly update from a LinkedIn group I follow - twitter innovators Innovation & Creativity Network of Tweeters . Scott Jacobs posted a link to Harvard Business Publishing (a source that I also follow through RSS feeds) "Conversation Starter - The Disadvantage of Twitter and Facebook" by Michael Schrage.

As I read along, I was nodding in agreement. Whether we grow our relationships through face to face contact or online connections, special are those who know us well enough to share pertinent information that build us up, help us with projects, or provide inspiration and spur innovation.

I've found useful information through posts to this LinkedIn group. Scott's post, his choosing to participate and not just observe, gave me value. HBP posting timely articles with attention grabbing headlines keep me coming back.

Have you made the commitment to participate in social networking communities? Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn?

Do you add value by forwarding information or commenting on blogs that grab your attention?

Do you have a lesson learned, aha moments, informative articles that will help someone position forward?

Add value. Be a contributor to the communities and dialogues around you. Share!

Video - Trends & Innovation: What 2009 Trends Will Drive Innovation in 2009 & Beyond?

While we were in Austin, at the Texas Credit Union League Annual Meeting, Lisa Renner spoke on innovation and trends.  Lisa is CEO of CU Holding Company, LLC. Credit unions have traditionally coasted along with follow-the- leader strategy. But in a world of increasing competition from every angle, credit union survival is dependent on both monitory trends and innovation in order to capture market share and get ahead of the competition. Engage in critical thinking and collaboration by watching this video: The hottest consumer trends, innovations form around the world - including the latest from Filene's i3, how consumer trends can be applied to our industry and how to implement trend watching and innovation in your organization. 

Helping People Understand Twitter and Other Social Media

When reviewing the weekly update from one of my LinkedIn groups, I came across the following post from David Pittman (Sr. Director, Marketing Communications, Initiate Systems, Inc.). I found his approach insightful and have his permission to share…

My company recently jumped headlong into social media, becoming active on Twitter, Facebook, and, LinkedIn, with soon-to-roll plans for other social media outlets. As the marketing communications director, I'm responsible for getting all this action rolling. That means I also field a huge range of questions from co-workers.

The most frequent type of question I get is "How is [X] different from [Y]?", especially "How is Twitter different from Facebook?" To help my colleagues understand the different social networks, I borrowed from my product marketing friends and created personas for each network. Each persona is the name of a fellow well-known employee, so everyone can quickly picture the personality of each social network and the 'feel' we will try to give to each in our communications.

Below are the personas I wrote, with the names changed to protect the guilty.

• Our blog is like Tom C: authoritative but with a humorous edge. Invites other opinions.
• Twitter is like Bill F: clever, witty and fun; easily interacts with other people; not afraid to ask thought-provoking questions.
• The website is like Ginger K: organized, has everything you need. Isn’t as outgoing as other media, but is always ready to interact with you.
• Flickr is like Emily G: has all the images, pictures and graphics you could want. (One person added, “And is easy to use.”)
• YouTube is like Dr. Robert H: has depth and technical knowledge, but also has a funny personal side.
• LinkedIn is like Alexandra T: knows everybody; exudes a professional demeanor; isn’t afraid to reach out and make connections.
• Facebook is like Ted P: cheerful, congratulatory and social. Reaches out to other people, encourages interaction among different people, has lots of friends; is able to integrate personal and professional.

What do you think of the characterizations he applied to each social network? What changes would you make?

Building the Business Case for Social Media - Come on in, the water's fine

My venture into social media began a little over a year ago as a result of a conversation with two young men before they were about to do a presentation at Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS) for alumni and students. The students had arranged for the presentation about the basics of social media. At the time this was all new to me and I wasn't ready to embrace any of it. However, James Robert Lay and Brad Garland impressed me. They were young, professional, passionate, and communicated well. It wasn't even the presentation that got my attention. It was how they approached business. Since then they have both become treasured friends and mentors.

One of the lessons I was reminded of when visiting with James Robert and Brad was to invest time in getting to know professionals outside of your own generation and beyond existing customer/member and vendor relationships. As relationships grow and new ones are formed, when we are looking for them, there are numerous opportunities to learn from each other. Collaborations can be a driving force to help position forward.

James Robert coached me through basics of blogging, eventually opening the door for me to blog on this site. As with most social media tools, the advice was to observe first. See how the media is used. Find blogs that interest you. Participate by commenting. Submit guest blogs. Learn how to stand up. Walk. Run. You decide each step of the way how quickly you want to progress.

I was introduced to RSS feeds. Cool. They saved me time by organizing blogs with information that was of interest to me directly into files in my Outlook. Now, when I have time, I can quickly review information, looking for new ideas and innovative approaches. To position forward we need to be finding new ways to do business.

LinkedIn is still my favorite, though this one seems to be more difficult to get folks to "buy into". To me it's more professional. One of the challenges is for folks who ventured into LinkedIn when it was primarily a HR recruiting/job hunting communication tool. They tend to think, been there, done that, tool has no value. It has evolved beyond it's HR/Job function, though it still has elements related to that. I like the ease of sharing news and starting/following discussions. I much prefer following a discussion here as opposed to weeding through email or twitter strings.

Facebook. Twitter. Waiste of time? Why bother? To maintain and grow market share, as well as position forward, we need to reach people beyond our traditional market(s) and contacts.

Before SCMS began this summer, I had just started to explore Twitter as a communication tool. During some idea generating sessions we used Twitter for live comments. As the process evolved, we realized that Twitter had power to bring expertise immediately into the conversation or to share "back home". No travel. No expense. Real time.  We had strategic "experts" join our classroom conversation from New York, Washington D.C., and California. The experts gained new ideas. Credit union employees were able to be part of the conversation, gaining insights, without leaving the office. All players won.

Recently Brad posted a twitter offering to help on projects. I took him up on his offer with a simple request for him, but something that would have taken me time to figure out. I wanted to sync twitter with facebook and had not spent the time to figure out how to do it. He made it happen with a few key strokes and I was off and running.

This morning I posted on Twitter that I was looking for ways to help folks see the business case for social media. Darrell Bahr picked up my message on facebook, sending me the following reply:

"Need case studies/examples. CU people are largely numbers people, so they need something tangible and proven/tested before they will try something so "radical". A few places to look:

Link 1

 

Link 2

 

Yes, I could keep going on. This just scratches the surface. But another lesson learned, you have to manage time. My other duties are screaming at me. 

 

Care to share ways to show the business value of various social media tools? I'm all eyes and ears - shout back.

I will take REAL Solutions for $500 please...

While I was at the REAL Solutions partner meeting, James Robert, co-author, asked “Hey, why don’t you do an interview?” So… I was pondering what questions should I ask. Then I thought I will try something different this time. I am going to do this interview “Jeopardy Style”. I will provide the answers and let the questions come to me. I supplied the answers to the following: Brent Dixon , founder of The Haberdashery, Denise Gabel, Chief Innovation Officer at the Filene Research Institute, Lois Kitsch, REAL Solutions National Program Director, and Kathy Darwin (no relation to Charles), CUANM’s REAL Solutions Program Coordinator.

Answer: REAL Solutions

Brent: What program is out there that embodies the philosophy of the credit union movement?

Denise: What is a philosophy and program that supports credit unions and consumers?

Lois: What is a program that recognizes the future needs of members and the ability for credit unions to meet their financial needs with affordable products and services through credit unions and state leagues?

Kathy: What do credit unions do for their communities?

Answer: Opportunity (which by the way I did not say opportunity for credit unions, just the word opportunity)

Brent: What is one of the greatest things credit unions can walk away with given the current economic times?

Denise: What are the current economic times for credit unions?

Lois: What is the reason why credit unions should reach out in serving emerging markets like young adults, low-wage families, “New Americans”, and Senior Citizens?

Kathy: What do low-wealth households look for?

Answer: Credit Unions

Brent: What is one of the best kept secrets for consumers that are out there today?

Denise: What is the consumer’s best-friend with money?

Lois: What is the best vehicle for change to provide economic opportunities for American families?

Kathy: What is a not-for profit financial cooperative?

Answer: The Fonz (in the spirit of Milwaukee…)

Brent: What bronze figurine would I most love to pose in a picture with?

Denise: Who is an icon of a leather jacket?

Lois: Who is the young adult who needed financial education, but was cool when young?

Kathy: Whose bronze statue stands in a park in Milwaukee?

Well there we have it-the questions from some innovative credit union minds… Does anyone out there have some other interesting questions to these answers: REAL Solutions, opportunity, credit unions, or The Fonz? If so blog back and ask us!

CUMA: Part Deux!

Calling all nominations for the 2009 C.U.M.A.- Credit Union Movie of the Year Award. Last year Larissa Walkiw, spokesperson for Commonwealth CU’s Young & Free campaign, won the very first C.U.M.A. with The Difference Between Banks and Credit Unions – Part One . Who will be the winner this year? Who will take the coveted C.U.M.A. home? Blog back with the link to your nomination- to do this post a comment to this article and include a link to the video you are nominating. You can nominate any credit union film you have seen this year- it doesn't even have to be from your credit union. Feel free to nominate more than one. We will have an online vote next week. The winner will be announced Tuesday July 21 at the SCMS Alumni & Student Scholarship Auction & Networking Dinner. The deadline for nominations is July 17, 2009. The only rules are:

• The video is no longer than 5 minutes.
• It must have premiered between July 2008 and now
• It promotes the credit union industry in a positive way
• It is uploaded to a public viewing site: Such as YouTube or a public credit union website.

SCMS Hands-On Social Media Class & More

Southwest CUNA Management School
Grad School - Social Media Lab: Credit Unions Get Down & Dirty

 

It’s time to stop talking about social media, roll up your sleeves, and experience some of the tools first hand. James Robert Lay, Brad Garland, and Kent Sugg team up to divide you up. Attendees will divide into work teams to create various social media elements. You’ll discover that with some strategic thinking, nominal investment, and time, you can effectively take advantage of opportunities afforded you through blogging, polling, podcast, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more.

Unlike other events where you or your staff attend and get excited about the potential of social media, only to return and hit a dead end because you have no idea where to start, you’ll be in real life scenarios to help you better understand and work with social media when you return home.

 

Visit the school site for the full Grad School curriculum, schedule and related details.

 

For the 1st Time - SCMS is Offering a Day Rate

 

Open Invite to Credit Union Professionals to Attend the SCMS Fireside Chat with Robert Gallman and Susan Mitchell - no charge to take advantage of this event and experience the excitement of SCMS!

Swing for a cause - the development of credit union leaders! The 21st Annual SCMS Scholarship Golf Classic is open to all.

 

It's not too late to enroll as a 1st year student! Plan now to connect with tomorrow's leaders. Enroll today!

Paying the Gift Forward

Thank you Winter for sharing Sir Ken Robinson's video, "Do Schools Kill Creativity".

Share Sir Robinson's message with graduating seniors. Challenge them to take a moment to view the video, asking what Sir Robinson's message means for their future.

For my friends with a passion for innovation or a heart for education, slow down and give this video a view. Wrestle with the message. Find application. Dream.

For all of us, how do we foster innovation as we work to position the world around us forward?

Friday Fun Flick - Twitter Parody (Twouble with Twitters)

Enjoy this fun little flick about Twitter.  Sorry for the late post but enjoy Friday, over the weekend or even on Monday morning when you get this in your RSS feed. What better way to get your week started.

All jokes aside, as Twitter continues to grow, your credit union can use Twitter as a communication channel to connect and build relationships with members. Here are three quick thoughts about how your credit union can use Twitter as a communication tool.

1. Listen - if you are just getting into Twitter, listen first.  Set up an account then sit back and observe the conversation and see how Twitter really works.  Like the video above shows, there is a big misconception that Twitter is a waste of time.  Twitter has grown to more than just people spouting off random and pointless tweets about their lives.

3. Discover - as you begin to listen to the conversation on Twitter, you will begin to discover new things. Maybe someone is tweeting about an experience at your credit union.  You can even discover new and innovative ways that other credit unions are using Twitter to communicate with their members.

2. Engage - just don't jump into Twitter because it is cool and everyone else is doing it. Find your purpose and reason for wanting to use Twitter.  I recommend using Twitter as a communication tool and not a marketing tool.

You may feel overwhelmed at first but start slow. I'll be honest that I have laid off Twitter for the past two weeks after Twittering for two straight weeks at credit union conferences.  I needed to disconnect and take a break. 

However, as I get caught up on the day to day, I will slowly get back into Twittering more again.  Feel free to follow along here: www.twitter.com/jrwlay

Shout back and let us know if and how you are using Twitter at your credit union.

Invest in the Future

It’s time to rethink strategies and find innovative solutions to today’s challenges. Seeking ways to maximize the return on how time and money are spent is crucial. Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS) is an environment where applied knowledge and networking are structured to help students find innovative and sound strategies to help position their credit unions forward.

This is the year to seriously consider enrolling yourself or key staff in SCMS — the place to connect with professionals dedicated to the future, an industry think tank.

- Credit union focused curriculum

- Networking opportunities
- Awesome faculty
- Student participation 

Two innovative credit union communication tools students initiated over the last year:

YouTube Video (Bank vs. CU Novella) - Kudos Alex Rascon, (SCMS Class of 2010 president, GECU)

This blog, CU Grow - Thank you James Robert Lay and Natasha Melugin (SCMS Cl of 2009) for your vision, commitment, heart and passion!

- Opportunity to be part of shaping the future of credit unions!

The school is intense. Less than 80% of a first year class make it to graduation. Successful completion of the school is something to take pride in. A three-year commitment, this summer's session is from July 12-22.

SCMS offers professional and personal development opportunity, providing a strong base for credit union leadership. Take the challenge. Make the commitment. Enroll today!

How to Lead with LUV

When I fly Southwest Airlines I can't help but read Spirit Magazine. Even though it is wriiten for an airline, there have been times I actually bring the magazine home (and yes this is permitted). It was no surprise in the recent edition the message from Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, would be timely and at the forefront explaining Southwest's stance through the current economic crisis. Kelly's message parallels the credit union industry in many ways. Kelly states,

One of the sweet agonies of childhood was receiving a large gift of money from a relative. (At the time, $25 was a huge amount.) Like a typical kid, I would immediately begin calculating how many model car kits or (when I was older) eight-track cassettes I could buy. Of course, my parents had their own calculations: the compound interest the money would earn in a savings account. With hindsight, I see their wisdom, which was forged by the Great Depression.

While the country is in better shape than those dark days, we still are in the midst of what experts are calling the worst recession in the last 50 to 75 years. Some household names are already history, and by the time you read this, others may be. Still, in the midst of all this gloom, I feel very, very good about the Southwest Airlines brand and where it is headed.

Of course, no one knows the future, and I will be the first to tell you that no one could have predicted the unusual way this financial crisis erupted last fall. But I can tell you emphatically that Southwest Airlines was prepared for it—just like we were prepared to survive the aftermath of 9/11 and the first Gulf War in 1991. My parents knew that family finances would have their ups and downs, and companies are no different. One of the Cultural legacies that our Founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher has given us is to manage during the good times so we can survive the bad times. And in our industry, bad times always come along—especially when you least expect them.

Sound familiar? Yes, the economy is in a bad place but lucklily the credit union industry as a whole is prepared to handle it. As a whole we are at 11% capitol and strong, safe, and prepared to serve our members.

To read Gary Kelly's entire message click on this link Managing for Bad Times

What do you think your credit union can learn from Southwest Airlines? Blog back and tell us!

Invest in the Future by Enrolling in Southwest CUNA Management School

Challenges are here, both in the economy and in the workplace. As we deal with challenges and seek solutions, opportunities often present themselves. Now, more than ever, it's important for us to creatively connect both inside and outside of the credit union movement. Together we can find and capitalize on opportunities. I have just the place for you to connect with professionals dedicated to the future.

To help position your credit union forward and develop leaders, consider enrolling yourself and key management team members in Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS). The SCMS curriculum has been celebrated for years. The growing list of professional credit union leaders to have emerged from the three-year school continue to shape and develop the credit union movement in innovative and positive ways.

To maximize both your personal and professional ROI for this intense school, students should arrive on campus with a strong determination to focus on:

• Being ready to capitalize on the broad networking opportunities. Students and alumni represent a wide range of credit union expertise.

• Planning to take advantage of the vast expertise offered by faculty. Many bring international experience to the classroom, challenging students with crucial topics. Faculty also encourage students to pursue innovative concepts.

• Arriving prepared to actively participate, incubating ideas and contributing to the overall educational experience by offering their own unique perspectives.

• Being a part of creating and shaping the future of the credit union movement.

When students arrive determined to take advantage of all SCMS has to offer, the rewards both personally and professionally extend well beyond the year of graduation. Shape the future and make a positive change in the credit union by enrolling in SCMS today. Enrollment is limited to the first 50 students. Seats have been going fast. Only 26 1st year student slots remain.

Students and alumni are encouraged to take full advantage of networking options by also utilizing the SCMS groups in LinkedIn and on Facebook.

Watch for information about the SCMS Grad School on July 22. One of this year's sessions will feature a hands-on workshop about how to create various social media forms of communication.

For more informtion give me a shout back!

Credit Union Conference Blog Update

Shortly after Keynote Speaker, Judson Laipply, wrapped up his Life is Change presentation, and performed the “Evolution of Dance”, we heard the thoughts from three CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council conference attendees.

Watch the brief interview below to hear their thoughts and feedback:

Patrick Adams Challenges Credit Unions

Patrick Adams, CEO at St. Louis Community Credit Union, had great words and thoughts from the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council Conference opening ceremonies.

Watch the Patrick’s interview and words of inspiration below:

Did You Know? Now That You Do- How Will This Affect Your Credit Union?

Very interesting video on change and where the world is going. Now that you do know, how does this affect your credit union? Do you know? Blog back and tell us how!

Position Credit Unions Forward - Be part of the solution

Resourcefullness abounds in the credit union movement. Collaboration and creativity have been hallmarks of our industry. We have member/oweners we are accountable to. Do you have the next great innovation/idea to help position credit unions forward? Or do you think you are not high enough on the management chain, your voice would never be heard? Think again! Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, wrote about how Thomas Barnett changed the Pentagon. From the bottom. No status. No rank. Just a reasearcher. The key - passion for change!

Silence is not golden. You have a forum. Your voice can be heard. It's time to get in the game, to "slinky up" (anti up, belly up, step up, roll your sleeves up - you get the idea - only have fun while you're doing it).

Credit union and SCMS faculty rock star, Denise Gabel, writes: Feeling stimulated yet?

Whether you supported it or not, Congress and the Obama administration have served up a massive spending package aimed at the economic crisis. Rather than waiting for that money to trickle down, Filene wants to help credit unions innovate in the new environment.

Read more.

Thank you to the LoneStar Leaguer for the heads up on the "Filene Future Focus" oppourtunity. And high five to Filene for their focus forward!

 

Credit Unions can Make it Work in a Down Economy

While it seems the economy news is getting worse every day (or hour/minutes if you are on some social networks), it’s so important to keep a positive attitude and not get stuck in the here and now.  Yes, the credit union world has been rocked in the past few days with some not so happy news.

Yet… check out what Seth Godin has to offer.  Andrew Warner is an Internet entrepreneur and the founder of Mixergy.  He interviewed Seth Godin who provided “7 Tips for Startups in a Down Market”.

Check out the video below:

WWUP- What would you pick?

I am currently serving on the Texas Credit Union League Youth and Millennial Task Force. One of the tasks we have at hand is to create a new tagline for credit unions. Currently some of the taglines used for credit unions are "People Helping People" or "Where People are Worth More than Money." Although, these are true they do not resonate to the majority of the youth market, who is unaware of what a credit union really is… So, if you had to pick a new tagline for credit unions that would captivate the younger mind, what would you pick? Below (not in any order) are a few that I have played around with for fun. Blog back and tell me some of your ideas for a new tagline. Who knows it may be the new tagline for the industry.

• $-greed= credit unions
• Wanna be cool? Join a credit union.
• Bail Out Free since 19__...
• Why make others rich? Join a credit union.
• You have a choice- credit unions.
• Ready for a change? Join a credit union.
• If you like to own stuff- Join a credit union.
• Credit Union = Economic Justice
• Some places let you keep the change- We let you own it- Credit Unions
• We are old school cool- credit unions

Sales is NOT a Dirty Word

 

William Quinn at Callahan & Associates wrote a great guest article on Jeffry Pilcher's blog with some fascinating numbers and tables. To expand on these thoughts, it's important that credit unions begin to be open and accept and sales culture and environment.

What do you think when you hear the word sales?  Do you cringe and run away?  Do visions of schmuckish used car sales man dance in your head?

It’s time for a paradigm shift.  Take those visions and throw them away.

Start to embrace sales as a way of being and a chance to build relationships and friendships.  Through relationship selling, you can connect with your members on a much deeper and personal level to help provide products and services that will make their life better.  In turn, they will thank you for this and be more than willing to tell their friends making your member the ultimate marketing and sales resource.

However, you cannot do this with the “old school” way of selling.  Below are three tips to help you grow relationships and sell.

1. Cross Sell to Existing Members
You have members.  But do you have a relationship?  Sales is not a dirty word if you have a relationship.  Your members will thank you for being their financial consultant and helping make life better for them.  There is an opportunity to enhance relationships with existing members to provide them with additional products and services.  The relationship with a member may start with an auto loan, but if they are not getting a savings account, checking account, credit card or other product or service from you, they are getting it somewhere else.  They may not even know that you can provide this product or service to them.  Below is a breakdown of the “Average Penetration Among Credit Unions” for products and services provided to members (source Callahan & Associates on The Financial Brand).

Average Penetration Among Credit Unions	Percentage or #
Credit cards	14%
Share savings	46%
Number of accounts	2

 

Start to build a relationship with your members while educating them on how you can truly help them.  Don’t just meet a monthly quota. 

 

2. Sell and Market to Potential Members

As you grow relationships with existing customers, it is also important to connect with potential members within your community.  The table below shows how little market share credit unions have providing a huge opportunity for growth (source Callahan & Associates on The Financial Brand).

 

Credit Union Asset Size	Members vs. Potential Members
Over $1 billion	11.63%
$500 million - $1 billion	6.28%
$250–500 million	5.09%
$100–250 million	5.66%
$50–100 million	5.67%
Less than $50 million	7.58%
All U.S. credit unions	7.08%

 

Financial institutions are a commodity as there are banks on every corner in your neighborhood. What makes you different and stand out.  As turmoil continues to rock the banking world, customers are looking for a safe and secure place to put their money.  Do they know your there?  Credit unions have received so much positive press through many different channels including mainstream broadcast and print publications.  Capitalize on the current financial crisis and convert customers to members. 

 

3. Breed an Internal Sales Culture

You have employees. Train them.  Use them.  This can be your least expensive marketing channel if they know your CUs brand and product/service. However, everyone in your CU must have a member-service mindset.  Take time to invest in your employees and your investment will pay off in the long-term. Everyone must get involved.  From your member service representative, to the call center to the loan officers. If members have a positive experience “banking” at your credit union, they are more likely to do business with you again in the future plus tell their friends.  Your member has now become your most effective marketing channel but it started with a  trained employee providing a positive “banking” experience.

 

What Will You Do?

As you know, the market is primed.  You can use the above three thoughts for ways to help grow your credit union through relationship selling.  Now is the time to act and be proactive as opposed to being reactive.  How will you help your members?  Shout back and let us know.

Tinker FCU and Bucking the Norm

Tinker FCU has a new website that is getting some attention.  The entire premise for the website is that the norm for consumer spending is going into debt by spending beyond their budget.  This means that the average American is getting into debt and then doesn't know how to get out of it (cuna.org).

What is the website?? It is Tinker Buck the Norm and what is so great about it?  First of all the parody of "bucking the norm" is a humorous way to make a huge point about consumer spending.  Secondly, and probably most importantly the website is in place to promote financial empowerment. 

The overarching goal of the campaign is to change how you think about finances:  

"...how you think, act and feel about your money can make a big difference in your life.  So get over what everyone else is doing and get smart about your money. Then you will hold the power-in the palm of your hand" (Tinker Buck the Norm).

Getting the American public to move away from the mentality of living paycheck to paycheck and setting a budget and sticking to it, can totally change each individual's financial future.  This is what the site is all about, changing mentality and therefore changing lives.

Tinker is definitely "bucking" the bar and raising it to a whole new level.  It is definitely something worth checking out.

Beacon FCU Hosts a New Breed of “Spokester”

Beacon FCU definitely has a new breed when it comes to the idea of having a credit union “spokester.” Beacon’s newest credit union spokesperson is none other than the fabulous and adorable Harley Gayle. Harley Gayle rides Harley motorcycles with her owners. She has appeared in several newspapers and magazines including the Houston Chronicle. Gayle (one of the owners) is the branch manager at the Baytown BFCU office. I spotted Harley at Beacon FCU’s second annual "BeaconFest". The annual event is an appreciation event for Beacon’s members. The credit union offered fun and games for the kids, hotdogs, a live DJ, a giant shred machine, and photo-ops with Harley Gayle. Although, there was a cash-grab machine, jumpees, and slides, the hottest item there was Harley Gayle. There was a line just to get a picture with the infamous motorcycle riding Chihuahua. She was in full Beacon gear with a Beacon t-shirt, pink riding helmet, and riding goggles. By the end of Harley's celebrity appearance she was ready for her ride home. Gayle stated, "Harley gets excited as soon as she hears the roar of a hog."

This was Beacon’s 2nd Annual celebration of members; a free event to all BFCU members and their families. The community was also invited to attend. An estimated 200 people attended the event this year.

I have heard from an "inside source" Harley plans to make another appearance when Santa visits the credit union. I wonder who the kids will be more excited to see, Harley or Santa? Kudos to Beacon FCU for thinking outside the species!

Social Media - It' Not About You

Don’t be selfish… social media is not about you… it’s about relationships. It’s about others.  Janine McBee asks, “Are you facing financial challenges when bringing up "social media" to your credit union powers that be? Are you being asked to justify any move toward social media by providing figures for ROI (return on investment)?”

When it comes to social media, it may be a while before you find the ROI you are looking for.  However, there is so much more there in social media than ROI. 

Jacob Morgan’s Blog on Social Media, Technology, Marketing, and Life provides some great insight: "Think of it like this, how much money would be willing to spend to keep your friends in your life? Think about your valuable experiences, your life stories, the things you have learned and the memories you have shared. How much is that worth to you? Can you quantify how much money you have made as a result of your friends or long term relationships? Now flip the question around, don’t ask how much money you are going to MAKE from your customers. Ask how much you are willing to GIVE to your customers. It’s not about you, or your brand. It’s about your customers; it’s about what they want."

Janine points out that, “He goes on to discuss how embracing social media tools requires a change in how we think about our customers/members. Yes I said customers. If we don't act like we are seeking and serving customers as we seek to attract and retain members, we are already missing the target.”

Jacob describes the approach to implementing social media well. "The first step in creating a social media strategy is not creating a blog or analyzing your objectives, it’s changing your mindset. It’s about realizing that your customers and your readers are doing you a favor by talking to you."

Janine refers to "Meatball SUNDAE" by Seth Godin where he writes, "It's been a decade since the underpinnings of this revolution were put in place. For the last ten years, ignoring most of what was going on with the New Marketing wouldn't have hurt you that much. Unless you were a travel agent, worked for a newspaper, owned a book store"...you get the idea.  However, we are at a point to where we can no longer to a blind eye to “what is going on the real world”.  Referring to the cliché “we’ve always done it that way” will not cut it anymore.

Janine points out that, “Credit unions need to explore new marketing mediums to attract younger members. At the same time, they need to make sure their products and services are designed to meet the needs and attract attention of younger generations.”

One way to find if you products and services are meeting GenY’s needs is simply by asking.  Have a focus group… fire side chat… coffee round table discussion.  Never the less, it is important to simply start the conversation.  Yes… you can read blogs, books and white papers which provide good insight, but you will never know what your members (GenY members) need if you don’t ask.

Remember, social media is not about you but the relationships that you build and cultivate with your members.  Relationships, above all other things, are priceless and are the glue helping to bind you to your members. If there is no relationship, there is no binding glue, and your credit union is simply a financial commodity that is easily replaceable.  

How is your credit union using social media? Can you track usage to new accounts opened? Loans generated? Transaction revenue? Are you creating an inviting environment for your own credit union community? A place where people want to become members? Have a conversation?  Speak their mind?  Complain about what you are doing wrong or praise great service? 

Do you have "lessons learned" to share?  Shout back below and let us know.

Join the Savings Revolution

It's an interesting dilemma...most credit unions need deposits and yet consumers are not good savers. But what if we could more deeply understand why consumers save and create more effective programs for them?  In this session, you'll learn what it takes to get your members to want to save.  What if they had a support group encouraging them to meet specific savings goals?  How thrilled would they be if you rewarded them for regular savings?  Watch this session and learn about Denise Gabel's ideas on fun ways to get your members saving.

The Fear and Fall of Credit Union Social Media

 

Once again, another big shout of to Janine McBee for her thoughts about the rise and fall of social media for credit unions.  Janine states:

“For those of us who are visual and like to communicate with pictures, check out "The woulda-been coulda-been social media choke-out" and cruise on through the comments.

Sadly, the picture does reflect reality or should I say lay out challenges for creative, energetic and passionate folks to venture off on "the road not taken", bringing your world into a new and exciting reality.

Bring others along the journey by sharing how social media tools has benefited your credit union, helped you in your professional journey or just stay in touch with friends and family.”

I know a lot of credit unions are struggling with this model on a daily basis.  The question is… why?  We (in the social media world) see the benefits of how all these great Web 2.0 tools and social media applications can help credit union’s connect and build relationships with members.

We are still the early adoption phase with these principals.  I mean, some credit unions still have web sites that look like crap.  A bit harsh… yes.  However, these same credit unions would be ashamed if there members walked into a branch with paint peeling off the walls and water leaking from the roof.

One big reason for the resistance of some of these social media strategies is fear. 

• Fear of members- What will happen if we allow our members to comment on our web site?  What if they leave a negative comment. 

• Fear of change - We’ve done things one way for 50 years.  There is no need for this stuff.

• Fear of the unknown – Why do we need this stuff… it’s what kids do.

However, I see a light on the horizon showing a bright future.  The light is education.  Opening people’s eyes by educating them about the power of social media and how it can be used to help build relationships with members and even bridge generation gaps. 

Our credit union blog is dedicated to education through innovation, communication and collaboration.  We have posted and will be posting more videos from two great Texas Credit Union League conferences. Janine also recommends “Love and Learn”… got any food?

Shout back and let us know how you are educating credit union leaders to help them understand the power of Web 2.0 and social media to connect and build relationships with members.

Gen Y Marketing 2.0 - Where Innovation Meets Generation

Generation Y is moving in where the Baby Boomers are moving out  Marketing and attracting this technology-savvy group is complicated at best, and the time has never been better to learn what makes them so difficult to categorize.  This session includes some creative ideas to jumpstart your thinking.  Through the use of best practices, case studies, and interaction, you will learn from and share success stories and innovative approaches to prepare for the next generation with Trey Reeme and Kent Sugg.

Click 'play' below to check out the video and shout back at us on the ways your credit union is working to reach Gen Y.

Leading the Way

A big shout out to Janine McBee for pointing this out.  She is reading Seth Godin’s book “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us”.  Pretty nice title considering the theme of the Texas Credit Union League Marketing Conference.  His subheading states “In Search of a Movement...a movement waiting to happen, a group of people just waiting to be energized and transformed.”

Janine states “A movement is thrilling. It's the work of many people, all connected, all seeking something better. I so felt like he was talking about our credit union movement.”

The book also notes that “Everyone is not just a marketer - everyone is not also a leader. The explosion in tribes, groups, covens, and circles of interest means that anyone who wants to make a difference can.”

Janine summarizes this thought with “At this point he made me think of our credit union network, how each of our contacts impacts our lives through leadership, direct or indirect, good or bad.”

Just getting back into the office from the marketing conference, this makes so much sense (more to come on conference thoughts later).  What are you doing in your daily life to empower your co-workers to help them make a difference in your member’s lives.  Shout back below and let us know.

Boxed In – Competitive Threats To Credit Union Industry From Banks

Assets are the name of the game in financial services, and credit unions are under increased pressure as financial service firms and now retailers are leveraging their existing distribution "footprints" to grab more of the pie.  Find out how credit unions can compete with the overwhelming distribution and resources of the mega-corporations in this presentation by Ron Galloway, author of "Wal-o-nomics" and director of the upcoming film "Wal-Mart Wars."

Check out the video and feel free to shout back and share about how your credit union is working to compete with mega-corporations.

Dream Big, Be Bold, Turn Members Into Advocates - A Wake Up Call

I recently attended the Texas Credit Union League's annual convention and heard a powerful keynote by Barbara Sanfilippo that is a wake up call for all credit unions.  In the video below, she mentions that in a study of 3,000 credit union members and bank customers only 24% were advocates, 39% were apathetic and 37% were actually antagonistic.  Many disengaged members view their credit union as a transaction destination and not genuinely interested in their future well being.  Given the current economic climate, Barbara strongly suggests we have an opportunity to turn our members and staff into loyal advocates. 

REAL Solutions Makes REAL Sense

Lois Kitsch joined the National Credit Union Foundation as the National Program Manager of the REAL Solutions program in December of 2006.  REAL Solutions - Relevant, Effective, Asset-building and Loyalty producing - demonstrates the opportunity for credit unions to reach low-wealth and low-wage households.  Providing access to transaction and wealth building products for emerging markets is a good business and social decision for credit unions.  Join us to learn how credit unions are expanding their service area and give members needed financial relief.

Check out the video below to learn more about how your credit union can do more to reach more people. 

Banking On Social Media

Brad Garland, founder and owner of Banktastic.com, explores new ways to market your members via the Web Blogs, podcasts, and wiki’s are taking over.  If your financial institution doesn’t know how to utilize them or the Web properly, you could be losing business! This look at Web 2.0 applications and more will keep you on the cutting edge of internet technology.

Check out the video below and shout back with how you or your credit union uses social media to connect with members and build relationships.